Chapter 658
"Grandpa, Ambrose, why are you both looking at me like that? If you don't agree, I'll just use my own allowance to send Lillian abroad."
Anouk was getting stared down but kept her innocent, carefree look.
She seemed clueless that her words were actually belittling and insulting Lillian, something that could really hurt her self-esteem.
The room got tense for a moment, but Lillian broke the silence with a laugh.
"Anouk, you're always so generous, wanting to give me money. But I really don't need this kind of help right now. Oh, and take back this bank card."
Lillian said this as she pulled out the bank card and handed it to Anouk in front of everyone.
Anouk's eyes flickered a bit, as she had not expected Lillian to call her out like that.
She thought Lillian would just keep quiet and suffer in silence after being thrown a bank card.
Oberon frowned at the card and asked, "Lillian, what's going on?"
Lillian smiled lightly. "It's nothing, just that Anouk said there were five hundred thousand dollars on this card..."
Anouk, worried Lillian would spill more dirt on her, quickly interrupted, "Grandpa, I was in a rush today and didn't have time to buy any gifts. I really appreciate Lillian helping me at the bar before, and the money on this card is just to say thanks. Lillian had already accepted my gesture, but you all made such a fuss that now she's embarrassed to take it and wants to return it to me!"
Anouk was lying through her teeth.
Lillian had never accepted the card; she had thrown it back at Anouk, and it had fallen to the ground.
Anouk didn't bother to pick it up and ran out when she heard Flora was in trouble.
Lillian couldn't just leave the card on the ground; what if someone else picked it up? Whose would it be then?
So, before leaving, Lillian had to pick it up.
But now, Anouk was insisting that she had accepted the card.
Accepting it and then taking it out now was practically implying that Lillian had two different sets of principles in public and in private.
Anouk was sure that since there was no third person in the room earlier and the card was now in Lillian's hand, Lillian wouldn't be able to explain it clearly.
Lillian's smile faded, and she waved the card between her fingers, saying, "Anouk, you must be having a memory lapse. I just returned this card to you, but you didn't take it. Also, you said this five hundred thousand dollars was for me to hire a nurse so that I wouldn't bother Oberon and Flora anymore. I appreciate the thought, but hiring a nurse doesn't require that much money."
Whether others believed it or not was another matter, but Lillian had to make things clear face-to-face.
Anouk frowned, looking all hurt. "Ms. Young, you clearly accepted it just now. I never said anything about hiring a nurse or not letting grandma visit you. If I thought that way, I wouldn't have personally accompanied grandma here this morning."
Anouk insisted that Lillian had accepted the card, confident that Oberon and Ambrose would trust her over Lillian.
However, Oberon's expression grew increasingly grim, and he glared at Anouk. "Who taught you to throw money at people! Take the card and apologize!"
Anouk had grown up under Oberon's watchful eye, and he knew her character well.
In the past, he had overlooked her minor faults out of affection, thinking of her as a motherless child to be pampered and indulged.
But now, he knew that the granddaughter he had doted on was an imposter and that his real granddaughter had been abused, beaten, and kidnapped by the imposter's biological parents...
Even if Oberon still loved Anouk, he knew who truly deserved his care and compensation.
Anouk looked at Oberon in disbelief. "Grandpa, you don't believe me?"
Her voice trembled, filled with anger and grievance.
Oberon's face darkened further at her reaction.
Anouk turned to Ambrose and said, "Ambrose, do you not believe me either? Do you think I should apologize?"
Seeing Lillian still holding the bank card, Ambrose took it from her and said to Anouk, "Don't take the card back. We'll donate it to the hospital for charity."
Anouk's eyes reddened instantly, and she glared at Lillian on the hospital bed, saying, "I meant well, but you are two-faced. Is this what you wanted?"
Lillian was quite surprised. She hadn't expected that with just her words, without any evidence, Oberon and Ambrose would choose to believe her over Anouk, whom they had doted on for years.
A wave of inexplicable emotions surged in Lillian's heart, a mix of gratitude, warmth, and a touch of sadness.
She was momentarily at a loss for words.
Flora leaned in to hug Lillian and frowned at Anouk. "Don't be mean to Ophelia? Get out!"
Anouk felt even worse and more humiliated.
Mike then chimed in, "Anouk, you might not know this, but when Lillian got divorced, Jackson gave her hundreds of millions in real estate, stocks, and cash. She didn't want any of it. How could she possibly care about your five hundred thousand dollars? Next time, don't be so stingy; it doesn't match your status. People might think you're a fake heiress of the Kelly family."
"What are you talking about?" Anouk glared at Mike angrily, feeling targeted and questioned by outsiders.
She thought Oberon and Ambrose would speak up for her, but they didn't.
Anouk suddenly felt a deep sense of panic. 'How could this be happening? Could it be...'
Mike shrugged and rolled his eyes at Anouk.
Barry also said, "Anouk, Lillian earns more than five hundred thousand dollars in royalties from a single song she writes. If you knew anything about Lillian, you wouldn't have done something so ridiculous."
Lillian sat there like the center of attention.
She didn't have to say or do anything, and everyone in the room believed her, sided with her, and protected her.
Anouk never expected to lose so badly. She bit her lip, covered her face, and ran out crying.
"Lillian, don't take it to heart, and don't let this incident distance you from us." Oberon looked at Lillian, his expression cautious.
Lillian quickly shook her head and replied, "I won't; thank you for believing in me."
Oberon finally breathed a sigh of relief and then frowned at Mike. "What did you mean by those words earlier? Did Jackson really leave Lillian with nothing?"
Mike shuddered and quickly said, "It's not exactly like that. Jackson did make a list of assets..."
Before he could finish, Oberon interrupted with a wave of his hand, "Don't talk about excuses, just look at the results!"
Mike was at a loss for words.
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